Always the Bridesmaid
by Sole Sakuma
Summary: Tomoyo yawned, as the common end of the party's loneliness ensued. Her eyes found a dignified lady, dressed in modern Chinese clothes. She examined the slender silhouette, the long legs, the sleek black hair. MeiLingTomoyo. Postcanon


Tomoyo yawned, as the common end-of-the-party loneliness ensued. She kept noticing the clothes people wore as they left in little groups. She smiled somewhat sadly: she could actually tell the time using the clothes as a guide

She slowly walked around, recognizing Sakura's friends, Li's relatives and completely failing to recognize others. Touya was eating in a corner, whispering something to Yukito's ear. Some friends from Sakura's college danced and laughed out loud. Sakura and Li were still in the middle of the dancefloor (not exactly sober, she suspected).

She'd have liked to go to the Hong Kong ceremony, but she hadn't wanted to annoy the Lis. She had even refused to listen to Sakura, who had desperately needed a friend there. She'd never forgive herself for having left her alone but one wedding was enough, even if that wedding had hurt less than she had expected.

Her eyes found a dignified lady, dressed in modern Chinese clothes. She examined the slender silhouette, the long legs, the sleek black hair. When she noticed the woman smiling back, she had to stop watching so intently, totally embarrassed. Had she forgotten her manners?

-Daidouji!

That was surprising. How did the stranger know her name? She had never spoken to any Li relatives except for… Mei Ling?! Was that Mei Ling? What had happened to the loud ten years-old? Twelve years, that had happened. She really didn't want to know what Mei Ling was thinking about her.

Before she knew it, Mei Ling was standing right in front of her. Blue fitted her well and she seemed to have grown used to be herself: she looked confident and calm.

-It's been a while, hasn't it? You should've come to Hong Kong.

-I couldn't… I was busy.

-Oh, yes. Shaoran told me you owned a very successful clothing line.

Tomoyo wasn't paying attention, she just wanted to be home already. Mei Ling kept talking for a while, before sinking into silence as well.

-Daidouji?

-Youi can call me Tomoyo.-she said in a whim.

-You can call me Mei Ling, then.

Silence fell between them again. Tomoyo was trying to be nice, but she didn't care about anything anymore.

- When are you going back to Hong Kong?

- Oh, I'm not.

- Sorry, I didn't know.

-You didn't have to.

-Then… where do you live?

- I take care of the Li's international affaires… and with that, I mean 'I make up excuses to travel around the world'.

- And what are you taking care of now?

- Keeping an eye on the newlyweds.

- So…

- So I'm staying in Japan, yes.

Tomoyo was surprised when she felt that it was a delightful surprise.

The only way to make it even more perfect was to order Flower to add the cherry blossoms. Sakura and Shaoran were saying goodbye to their families, laughing and laughing and laughing. They'd definitely have a very sweet honeymoon. Touya, however, seemed to still not be used to the new situation: he didn't said goodbye to Shaoran.

Tomoyo, again, lied more easily than she had expected. She laughed as well, she wished them luck, she asked Sakura to take a lot of pictures, she repeated yet again that the clothes were a wedding gift… nothing strange. The only strange thing was that she couldn't keep her eyes off Mei Ling, she mumbled to herself.

Mei Ling insisted on paying attention to her and on talking to her and inviting her to anything and joking and being too close. Even more, she insisted on reminding Tomoyo that she could forget.

- Please, Tomoyo, I don't know anyone in Japan.

_You're lying and I know it._

- I can't… besides, I'm sure hundreds are dying to go with you.

- OK, yes, it's a lie but I only want to go with you.

_Don't laugh like it doesn't matter._

- I can't, Mei Ling.

- Please, for the good old times' sake.

_They even weren't that good._

- I can't, Mei Ling.- she repeated, cheerful and nice, not betraying herself.

- Hey, you helped me so many years ago and now it's my turn. See you tonight, OK? I won't let you say no.

When she left (she still could see her in the crowd), Tomoyo was way too amused to say no.

Tomoyo didn't expect the stranger Mei Ling had invited to their karaoke night: a deep neckline that she was sure the Li didn't approve. She hadn't expected those legs either. What she had expected the least was those things to be such a delight to her. Mei Ling seemed aware of the power she had right then, because she didn't stop smiling for a second.

- You shouldn't have paid for dinner.

- Why not? I invited you.- said Tomoyo vacantly, looking out the car window.

- Because I could've paid, I don't need you to… and you didn't even invite me.

- It doesn't matter. I'm paying you back for getting me out of the house.

She turned around and smiled to a (very surprisingly) blushing Mei Ling.

- No-ow, where were we going?

- A new nightclub. Several of my models go there regularly.

- I guess you don't.

Mei Ling's laughter was as stentorian as ever

The place was, expectably, loud, hot and sticky. Mei Ling enjoyed the wanted attention guiltlessly. She felt something akin to jealousy.

- Let's dance!- screamed Mei Ling.

She dragged her through the dancing crowd, until something stopped her and she started dancing. Not only dancing, but Mei Ling was also trying to make _her_, Tomoyo Daidouji, dance to something that wasn't even music.

Sometimes, she felt Mei Ling got closer than necessary (she didn't exactly complain about it). She also felt that, in any minute, some guy would appear and she'd end up alone. It was always like that.

- I'll get something to drink!

- What?!- she shouted, but Mei Ling had already been swallowed by the mass.

She stood still, feeling incredibly out of place. Mei Ling came back with two glasses full of strangely coloured liquids. Tomoyo drank hers without asking and without breathing.

Some indefinite amount of time later (hours, seconds, days, minutes maybe), they were screaming and failing to walk straight in a lonely street. Mei Ling sang something in some language and she hadn't stopped dancing yet.

- Let's go to a karaoke, Tomoyo! I'm going to prove how much better my voice has gotten!

She didn't know how many songs had Mei Ling butchered and she didn't know how many they butchered together. All she knew, despite the impossible hang-over and her aching body, was that she hadn't had that much fun in ages.

She had completely forgotten about work. Her business could have disappeared and she wouldn't bat an eye. Her days were basically Mei Ling.

She wondered whether her nights would be Mei Ling sometime, but she stopped on time. She couldn't be thinking that, not so fast, not yet.

She checked her latest designs and noticed, with faked surprise, that these didn't have Sakura as a model. There was little cuteness. Even if the pink-ribbons-level had gone down with the years, it had always been obvious who she was dressing. She had never dared to ask herself if it wasn't out of habit.

Now, it was also obvious who she was (un)dressing in her mind. The colours _she_ always wore, some Chinese influence, the colours she (as a designer) loved on long haired, smooth skinned people. What the hell was she thinking?

She carefully put away the drawings and prepared herself for another night of running after Mei Ling. She had a shower, did her hair and was beginning to get dressed when the phone rang.

She picked it up and an excited Mei Ling asked if she couldn't come over, instead of going out.

-I want to see your apartment!

_Almost like an order._

-Wouldn't you rather go out? You'd have more fun.

- But you're there and I have more fun with you.

Tomoyo melted and accepted to party at her place, for once. She was scared… yet she was expecting and impatient.

Mei Ling wanted to cook, clean up, wash the dishes. Tomoyo caressed the rug with her bare feet, sitting in the sofa doing nothing. She knew that arguing with the woman who had just sit next to her was in vain.

-Tomoyo…

- What?

_This silence isn't like the wedding's… this is __comfortable and why do we have to speak…_

She reached out and let Mei Ling's hair loose. She saw it spread over her back, it had never been so beautiful before.

- Can I ask you something?

- What? – she said, still hypnotized by Mei Ling's hair's shadows.

- Are you okay?

- Of course.

- You don't have to lie to me, I… I… I know.

Now Mei Ling was the one reaching out and caressing her hair. Tomoyo hugged her but didn't cry. She had given up too long ago and she was extremely happy that someone else knew.

She didn't spoke for a while, focusing on the hands that fondled her back.

-You owed me…

- That's not why.

- Then why is it?

- I don't like to see you like this.

- Why?

- Don't make questions you don't want answered.

- Who told you that?

- It's quite obvious why I don't like to see you like this and it's pretty obvious why you're like this and the most obvious thing is what those two things together mean.

Tomoyo gathered her courage: she had loved with less. She barely kissed Mei Ling and pulled away, waiting for a reaction.

-But… Sakura… and..

- That was a long time ago. I let her go a long time ago. I just needed someone to remind me of that.

Mei Ling became herself again, Tomoyo did it too and, suddenly, she found herself in bed next to a naked childhood friend, absolutely exhausted.

She giggled, imagining her other childhood friend learning what had happened during her honeymoon. She was probably going to congratulate her while looking adorably confused.

- Why are you giggling?- said Mei Ling, hugging her even if half-asleep.

- Because things are so easy.

- You're not.

Tomoyo closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. She heard Mei Ling snorting almost annoyed and went to sleep, this time for real, smiling stupidly to herself.


End file.
